# Is it possible that we have not discovered all of the colors in the universe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 25, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043 "2004-01-25T21:11:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ice97531](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bb73d2/32.png) [@Ice97531](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice97531)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/1 "2004-01-25T21:11:09Z")
Is this possible? Or can we prove that we have found the colors black, white, and everything inbetween? Also, can things get darker than black and lighter than white? ---
**Author:** ![Phage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@Phage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phage)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/2 "2004-01-25T21:24:02Z")
Colors are made up of different frequencies of visible light. The complete visible range and far beyond has been measured in great detail. Do a Google search for “electromagnetic spectrum” to learn more about this. If black is defined as the complete absence of visible light, then it is meaningless to ask if there can be less than nothing. If white is defined as a perfectly equal mix of all of the visible colors, then it should also be clear that asking if there is anything more equal than perfect is nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/3 "2004-01-25T21:32:29Z")
First of all, black can be defined as the absence of light, so by that definition, that’s as dark as anything can get. By the same argument, you can’t make your brights “whiter than white”, no matter what the washing powder commercials say. Second, each color that we see corresponds to a different frequency, or wavelength (they’re related) of light. Science has examined (at least theoretically) the entire electromagnetic spectrum (which includes radio waves, microwaves, infra-red, visible light, x-rays, gamma rays, etc). There are just no more colors to find. ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/4 "2004-01-25T21:36:51Z")
Unless, of course, we find a new kind of radiation that our eyes respond to. I’m not holding my breath for any stunning new visual phenomena. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/5 "2004-01-25T22:04:18Z")
> [@Kamandi](#): > > Second, each color that we see corresponds to a different frequency, or wavelength (they’re related) of light. Or a combination of different wavelengths, like white is. ---
**Author:** ![Ice97531](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bb73d2/32.png) [@Ice97531](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice97531)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/6 "2004-01-25T22:13:06Z")
so are there colors that we just can’t see? ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/7 "2004-01-25T22:15:26Z")
> [@Ice97531](#): > > so are there colors that we just can’t see? Sure. We can’t see ultraviolet light, but bees and some birds can. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/8 "2004-01-25T22:20:02Z")
What if the spectrum of light we see pales in comparison to some other creature. Like our visible spectrum is just their primary colors. Is that possible?[ ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/9 "2004-01-25T22:21:41Z")
> [@Ice97531](#): > > so are there colors that we just can’t see? The thing is as I see it, “color” is the function of a mental response to the stimulation of optical receptors to electro-magnetic radiation. So minds that are organized or wired differently will respond differently. As was pointed out in another post, bees, and probably other insects, apparently detect UV radiation visually. Dogs, on the other hand don’t even detect different the colors that humans can as far as we can tell. In this sense, humans can’t possibly see all the “colors” that are available to see. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/10 "2004-01-25T22:56:54Z")
You might like to try [Squant](http://www.negativland.com/squant/story.html) ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/11 "2004-01-26T02:13:45Z")
There’s always the colour of magic, which is a bit like purplish brown green or a bluish orange grey. Peace. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/12 "2004-01-26T02:35:38Z")
Considering the green tie he wore with a blue suit and shirt on **60 Minutes** tonight, I am wondering if John Kerry sees all the colors most of us see. 😉 [sup] **Other than the tie, I think he did very well on the show.** [/sup] ---
**Author:** ![AsherElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@AsherElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AsherElite)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/13 "2004-01-26T02:49:19Z")
just do some acid and think really hard, your see what everythung really looks like ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/14 "2004-01-26T04:32:33Z")
[hijack] > [@Mangetout](#): > > You might like to try [Squant](http://www.negativland.com/squant/story.html) Wow. I try to imagine that, it’s like thinking about infinite and imaginary numbers. Just when you think you sort of understand it, you realize you have no idea. Anyway, when I download the plugin, it gets through some of the installation process then just says “Installation was not successful.” That’s part of the joke, right? [/hijack ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/15 "2004-01-26T11:41:30Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > There’s always the colour of magic, which is a bit like purplish brown green or a bluish orange grey. > > Peace. No, that’s the COLOUR of magic. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/16 "2004-01-26T14:31:17Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > There’s always the colour of magic, which is a bit like purplish brown green or a bluish orange grey. In other words, octarine. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/17 "2004-01-26T14:39:37Z")
> [@AsherElite](#): > > just do some acid and think really hard, your see what everythung really looks like I’m guessing that’s what you were up to when you posted this… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/18 "2004-01-26T14:54:00Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > [hijack] > when I download the plugin, it gets through some of the installation process then just says “Installation was not successful.” That’s part of the joke, right?[/hijack I don’t think so; it worked fine for me and I can now see _Squant_ - try contacting the manufacturer of your graphics card and/or monitor and ask them if your hadware is Squant capable. [sub]Yes, it’s part of the joke[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-that-we-have-not-discovered-all-of-the-colors-in-the-universe/226043/19 "2004-01-26T16:17:50Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > You might like to try [Squant](http://www.negativland.com/squant/story.html) So all new colors can be named after their discoverer? Little known historical fact, “red” was named after one of my distant ancestors, Red Biff Homunculus, who is also said to be the inventor of creamed chipped beef on toast. Originally, he was called Red because his parents wished him to be well-read (but they hadn’t mastered orthography at the time of his naming). Interestingly, his culinary talent led to the discovery of the color, when one of his fellows commented that the food was better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, and he attempted to find out if that was actually true in more than a metaphorical sense.